The shocking decision by press secretary Sean Spicer to bar CNN, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Politico and the Los Angeles Times from a news briefing Friday signals that, for all its bluster and bravado, the Trump White House is an administration under siege.
In the face of the President's many public misstatements, obvious financial conflicts of interest and troubling ties to Russia, the White House has decided to launch an all-out attack on the news organizations that reliably report on the administration's fables and foibles.
Expect to see the media close ranks and fight for the public's right to observe and report on government without fear of official retaliation. To their credit, the Associated Press and Time walked out of Spicer's briefing when it became clear he was trying to punish selected news outlets.
[…]
As any seasoned reporter knows, [Trump’s] squealing, with pointless insults, is the sound made by politicians when the truth makes them feel cornered and uncomfortable. Their bleating, in fact, signals that it's time to turn up the heat.
And that is what will happen. In the Trump presidency, there are too many financial conflicts of interest to ignore, and White House efforts to spin or suppress coverage of Russian meddling in our elections is backfiring.'
Why punishing the media will backfire on Trump - CNN.com
The American people will likewise not tolerate Trump’s unwarranted attacks on freedom of the press.
In the face of the President's many public misstatements, obvious financial conflicts of interest and troubling ties to Russia, the White House has decided to launch an all-out attack on the news organizations that reliably report on the administration's fables and foibles.
Expect to see the media close ranks and fight for the public's right to observe and report on government without fear of official retaliation. To their credit, the Associated Press and Time walked out of Spicer's briefing when it became clear he was trying to punish selected news outlets.
[…]
As any seasoned reporter knows, [Trump’s] squealing, with pointless insults, is the sound made by politicians when the truth makes them feel cornered and uncomfortable. Their bleating, in fact, signals that it's time to turn up the heat.
And that is what will happen. In the Trump presidency, there are too many financial conflicts of interest to ignore, and White House efforts to spin or suppress coverage of Russian meddling in our elections is backfiring.'
Why punishing the media will backfire on Trump - CNN.com
The American people will likewise not tolerate Trump’s unwarranted attacks on freedom of the press.